


Look Into My Eyes (Meet Me There, Don't Look Down)

by patchworkangel



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Implied Mpreg, Implied Sexual Content, Like I'm possibly aiming for at least six chapters, Lovers to Friends, M/M, Miscommunication, Mpreg, Mutually Oblivious Subconscious Pining and Flirting, Slow Burn, but for now there's just some implied sexytimes, if I end up actually writing the sexual content i will update the tags, kind of, that there is the key word
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-05-30 20:07:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19410469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patchworkangel/pseuds/patchworkangel
Summary: All things considered, when it comes down to it - these may not be the circumstances they expected, but Gwilym and Joe were going to find a way to make things work, because that is what good friends do.Or,Gwilym and Joe accidentally hook up while drunk, and it results in Joe getting pregnant. Unwilling to let Joe go through this alone, Gwilym agrees to move into Joe's apartment until the baby is born. Joe thinks it's the perfect compromise and is thankful for the support, while Gwilym thinks he's just doing what any good friend would do.And to think that they thought they knew how this would go.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so umm, yeah.
> 
> So I know that I've said that I wasn't going to post this until I was done, but I've kinda hit a wall. Not entirely writers block, but a little bit unsure where to go next. So I've decided to post what I do have, before I my indecision causes me to rewrite two chapters full of what I currently consider done. It's not perfect, but I'm about as happy about it as I ever could be, so there's that.
> 
> Anyway, this was partially inspired by the idea of wanting to do something Leezzello, since I felt like it was one of the less popular pairings in the BoRhap!boys universe, and to see I could make it work. However, while in the process of outlining the bare bones of this world, I honest to god fell in love with this pairing, and now want all the good things for them. So it's become less of a challenge, and more of a labour of love. 
> 
> The title is from Brave Face by Delta Goodrem, which is basically the overall mood of this fic.
> 
> Anyway, hope y'all enjoy it. :)
> 
> Onwards!!

_It wasn't like it was anything planned_ , Joe thought to himself as his mother fussed around his apartment. It just happened.

He just... happened to get pregnant.

...with Gwilym's baby.

_Fuck._

Joe blamed the alcohol. And the party.

And the fact that he had just seen Ben slip his hand into Rami's back pocket, and lean in way too close to be considered strictly _non-platonic work friends-slash-coworkers_.

Also, the fact that they had just wrapped the filming of Bohemian Rhapsody, so Joe was pretty sure whatever deadline he had set for himself to finally confess his little crush to Ben, had - with gusto - flown right by him and slammed into the proverbial window of reality, that was his crush apparently in a relationship with his best friend.

So you see... _it wasn't planned,_ it just happened.

As for the baby... _well._

"Are you absolutely sure you don't want me to move in with you too, sweetie? I know Gwil will be staying until the baby is born, but surely he won't be able to be here all the time to help you. Like you said, he's got work, and who knows what other offers he might end up getting once New York catches wind of him living here."

Joe shrugged. "I'll be fine, mom. Gwil and I have worked it out, and we've agreed that neither of us would be taking on any major projects until after the munchkin is here, that way we'll always be within calling or texting distance at all times. It'll be okay - just like riding a bike."

His mother scoffed.

"The first time you rode a bike, you ended up eating the pavement and losing a tooth. Besides, you forget that I have actually been pregnant, and it is most certainly nothing like... oh, whatever! I'm just worried about you Joe. Are you absolutely sure this is what you want? What you and Gwil want?"

Joe bit his lip and looked down for a moment, the sudden burst of emotion in his chest threatening to choke him in his throat. Truth be told, he didn't know what he wanted. Hell, he and Gwil weren't even together. It was just...

... _he didn't want to call it a mistake_ , because he was pretty sure he wanted to have this baby. And if it had been anyone other than Gwil, he's pretty sure he would still be making the same choice.

He was pregnant, and he was going to have Gwilym's baby. That was that. He appreciated his mother's concern, but this was his call to make - always had been - and he was making it.

Looking back up, he met his mother's concerned gaze with one of easy-going calm, well-cultivated from years of going to auditions that asked for more, then left him with nothing, making him an expert at looking fine and content despite feeling anything but, underneath his skin.

"I know what I'm doing, mom. I want this, I do. I want to have this baby. Gwil and I... we're friends, first and foremost. That's why he even suggested moving in when I told him about the little critter. We're going to get through this together, like only friends could do, then figure out how to keep a decent enough schedule once the baby is here and wrecking havoc on everyone's lives the way you know any decent spawn of mine would do."

"Oh shush!" his mother scolded, smacking his arm and making him laugh. "That's my grandchild you're talking about, and we better hope there's enough of Gwilym in them to balance out the troublemaker that you were when you were a baby. God knows he's the nice one between the both of you."

"The nice one! As if! You wouldn't believe the kind of shit that doofus could get into. He's probably worse than me!"

"Nonsense, he was always the nicest whenever I've met him. That boy could do no wrong."

_Except accidentally knocking up his co-star during a drunken one night stand, maybe._

_Again... fuck._

"Yeah yeah yeah, I see what's going on here. You just want a reason to replace me with a better son once Gwilym gets here. I see now where your heart lies, mother."

"My heart lies wherever it must to make sure my son is living his best life. And if Gwilym needs to be a part of that, then so be it."

This time it was Joe who scoffed as he got up from his seat. "Well, don't get too attached to the idea, cause chances are he's not even gonna be here after 8 to 9 months. He's still got his own life to live, after all, and that life is in London or Wales or wherever he wants to go once the baby is born. Anyway, come on, it's getting late. You should be getting home. I'll walk you to your car."

His mother looked like she still wanted to argue her points, but acquiesced and threw up her hands in mock surrender. There really was no point to arguing with your children once they were grown and making their own life choices.

"Okay, fine," she muttered. "Have it your way. But remember, you can always come to me if you need anything, okay."

"Okay, mom. I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is a flashback, and will contain some mentions of sexytimes. Nothing explicit, but very much yeah-it-happened. Enjoy~

In hindsight, Joe really had thought that he had his feelings under control after witnessing Ben and Rami's super secret displays of affection at their wrap party.

He really did.

So. _Ben and Rami were together._

And really happy to be as well, judging by how touchy-feely they were in that secluded corner of the penthouse suite, where Joe had ( _totally-by-accident-of-course-not-like-he-was-actually-looking-for-Ben-or-anything-what-pfft_ ) discovered them being very, uh... _handsy and giggly_ , with one another. The facts of the matter pertaining to the issue had been laid out so clearly and concisely, that there really wasn't anything Joe could tell himself to convincingly deny what he had just witnessed.

Ben and Rami were together.

_And Joe had missed his chance._

_None of which is my business, or my problem!_ he thought as he polished off the liquor in his glass. What it was, he couldn't say. All he could think of doing once he slipped back into the wrap party - was to make a beeline for the bar area, then point in the general direction of the various liquors, before practically inhaling whatever it was the bartender gave him. He could feel a headache coming on, but that was probably just his imagination. _He was fine!_ He had just finished filming the BIGGEST project of his entire acting career, and he had a drink in his hand. _Life was good!_

"Hey, have you seen Ben?"

Joe sputtered and choked from surprise. "Oh shit," Gwilym cursed from beside him, grabbing the glass from his hand and putting it away. "Jesus christ, Joe, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" he was coughing, so he clearly wasn't, but still. "I'm perfect! What, why? What happened??"

Yeah, he totally wasn't fine, but that wasn't the point here.

Even in his drunken haze he could make out Gwilym's concerned face looking back at him. The Welshman was dressed in a navy blue suit that clearly complimented his blue eyes, but what mattered to Joe in that moment, was the question he had asked him earlier.

"Are you okay? Do you need to go back to your room?" Funny, Gwil was talking but his mouth wasn't moving right. Like someone in a badly dubbed foreign film. _God he loved badly dubbed foreign films._

"Wha-? No! No, I'm fine! Just... wanna sit here and drink-.." his fingers flexed around thin air, glass apparently missing from between them. Shrugging, he turned to face his co-star, teetering in his seat as he did so. Again, Gwilym's quick reflexes caught him and righted him in place.

"-...my drink. What about you?! What brings you here?"

"Oh," Gwilym seemed as if to only just remember his original intentions, "I was asking about Ben. Have you seen him?"

Joe blanched. "Yeah... he's uh, in the room... the bedroom... down the hallway."

Gwilym's face perked up, and Joe felt the weight of stones in his gut. "But I wouldn't go in there, though!" he quickly added. "He has, uhh... he has.... company."

His co-star's whole demeanor changed completely. Somewhere in Joe's drunken memory, he could remember having seen that happen once or twice before, but never this close. He decided he didn't like it.

"Is he, umm... How do I say this.." Gwilym rubbed a hand over his face, doing little to smooth out his frown lines. "Is he with... Rami?"

Joe blinked. Oh. Oh, of course.

"Uhh... yeah. He's.... with Rami. Rami is with him." Joe noticed the way Gwilym winced at the revelation. Jesus christ. All in one night, huh. "I- I'm sorry, man."

Gwilym turned to look at him, pain now mixed with confusion, which slowly melted into understanding. Joe internally facepalmed at the thought. _God, was it that obvious?_ And to think he was an actual working actor. _Sloppy work, Joe. Sloppy work._

"I..." Gwilym started, then shook his head and turned to sit beside him at the bar. "Can I get an Old Fashioned?" he requested softly.

The bartender nodded. Gwilym buried his face in his hands, looking for all the world like someone had just chosen to give the last rose to the wrong guy on the Bachelor.

Oh shit, Joe thought, as the image of Gwilym being given the boot on The Bachelor popped up in his head. Apparently his drunk self found said image hilarious, because the next thing he knew, he was bursting into laughter.

And not just, soft snickers - no. He was full on bellowing. Face red and all that jazz. All because he was imagining his co-star on a reality show about dating.

Gwilym looked taken aback. Naturally.

"I'm sorry! I j-just..!" a fucking snort came out of nowhere, which just made Joe laugh harder. By then, even Gwilym's lips had turned into a tiny amused half-smile, and all Joe could think of was how it made the smile lines around Gwilym's eyes stand out.

_Damn,_ he mused, _Rami was missing out._

Gwilym's Old Fashioned landed with a clink of it's ice and the moment was broken. Joe's laughing fit faded out into soft giggles, his body once more turned towards to the bar, chin in hand, contemplating his next drink.

"So." Gwilym sipped his drink. "Ben and Rami, yeah?"

"Ugh," Joe groaned, mood ruined. "I don't wanna talk about it, Gwil. I'm scarred for life, and in more ways than you think."

Gwilym nodded in understanding, going back to nursing his drink.

Around them the party had significantly slowed down, everyone favoring conversation over celebration, and to each their own to decide how they wanted to spend the next few days of rest before getting back to work. Joe noticed Lucy engrossed in some sort of discussion with Roger Taylor and his gaggle of children - her blonde hair easily blending in with theirs. While over on the opposite couch, a group of young actors and actresses were surrounding Brian May as if he was Aesop himself, completely entranced as he regaled them with stories about the heydays of Queen.

_He was going to miss this,_ he thought.

"How long?" he suddenly found himself asking, turning to Gwil, who was watching his drink swirl in his glass instead of drinking it. "How long have you been...?"

"Since we met. Our first table reading."

Joe nodded. They really were in the same boat. Losers, the both of them.

Well, maybe not Gwilym. Gwilym wasn't a loser. But he was.

"Damn."

"And you?" Gwilym took a sip, eyeing Joe over the rim of the glass.

Joe exhaled a deep, deep breath - knowing that it would be the first time he'd be saying it out loud. _What a fucking relief._

"Same," he managed. "Same as you. Since we met... Just,...since day one."

Gwil nodded, wry smile on his face. "Pair of johnny-come-latelies, aren't we?"

That they were. That... they really fucking were. "Hey, bartender! Can I have one of what he's having? What was that, an Old Fashioned?" Gwilym nodded. "An Oooooooold Fashioned! Come on, night's young!"

Gwilym laughed, catching Joe by surprise. He turned to the Welshman, half-hearted scowl on his face, a drunken cheeky smile on his lips. "What are you looking at? Can't a guy get a pity drink here?? Unbelievable."

"Joe, you're drunk."

Joe scoffed. "Of course! What's the point of drinking your feelings if you don't _get_ drunk?" He turned back towards the bar, this time practically leaning halfway across the counter trying to get the bartender's attention. _Why wasn't he paying attention to him??_

"Well, it might have something to do with the phone call he's taking, but I'm not an expert."

Fuck, he had said that last bit out loud. "You know, Gwil, you're not being any help either. Here I am, trying to make something out of a bad situ-...!"

The sudden silence took Gwilym by surprise. Before his eyes he watched Joe's expression drop, eyes trained on something behind him. "What is it?" he asked, turning to look over his shoulder.

"Gwil, wait..!"

_Oh._ It was Ben and Rami, walking hand-in-hand, out into the penthouse living room.

Even from this distance Joe could make out the red, kiss-bitten lips, and the rumpled state of his clothes. His collar buttoned all the way up, where it wasn't earlier in the night. Rami was no different, suspiciously missing his belt, and definitely sporting some sex hair.

_But the worst part was the dreamy smile on both of their faces. The stars in their eyes._

"I have to go," Gwil mumbled, scrambling to his feet. Joe noticed the beginnings of tears in his eyes, and for some reason, a wave of protectiveness rolled through him.

"Gwil, wait...!" he grabbed Gwil's arm, stopping his getaway. "...wait for me."

Gwilym's eyes widened slightly,"...what?"

Joe shushed him. "One second."

And then he was climbing over the bar, swinging his legs over and somehow managing to land on his feet, even giggling as he crouched behind the counter. Gwilym was flabberghasted. " _Joe, what the fuck?!_ "

"Shush!" The younger man made a grab for the nearest bottle, not bothering to check what it was, then proceeded to scramble his way back over the counter. Shot glasses were falling and shattering on the floor. " _Gwil! Help me!_ "

"Oh my fucking GOD, Joe! What the fuck's wrong with you!"

Joe's only response was to laugh as Gwilym helped him over to the other side, bottle of whatever cradled in his arms. Somehow the bartender remained oblivious (or maybe just apathetic) of the commotion behind him - even as Joe reached over to grab Gwil's unfinished drink, downing it in one go, then sarcastically calling out, " _Thanks for the drink, man!_ " before grabbing Gwilym's hand and dragging him along to make their escape.

By the time the bartender was turning around to get back to work, the only thing left behind was an empty glass, and the sound of Joe and Gwilym's laughter as they slipped out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Featuring an OC in the form of Gwilym's fictional childhood friend-cum-manager, and another flashback to that fateful night between Gwil and Joe. Enjoy~

"Hello?"

"Hey! So I've just arrived. How's everything? Everything good?"

Joe leaned back into the couch, tv remote in one hand, phone in the other. The day was pretty early, just past 8.00 in the morning. He had woken up earlier than usual today because he knew Gwilym's flight was supposed to arrive today, after having been delayed yesterday evening. Now, sitting in his living room in an old t-shirt and baggy pajama pants - he would never admit it, but he was glad to hear that the Welshman had landed safely and was checking in.

"All good here. How was the flight?"

"Terrible. Just terrible. I'll tell you all about it when I get there. What time is brunch with your mum?"

"Uhhh, around 11? But it'll just be in the apartment anyway, since she's insisting on cooking for it. You're about to get blown away by the magic of Mazzello home cooking, dude."

Gwilym laughed on his end and the sound settled something deep within Joe.

"Well I look forward to it," Gwilym said cheerily. "Just going to need to check into the hotel with Bradley, and then I'll freshen up a bit before coming over." A faint _'_ Hey, Joe!' hollered in the background of the call. Joe chuckled.

"I still can't believe you got your manager to help you with this. Like I'm pretty sure this isn't what managers are supposed to do."

A muffled exclamation sounded off in the background, and Joe could imagine the exasperated look on Bradley's face. From what he understood, Bradley was Gwilym's friend from middle school, who had reconnected with him a few years after Gwil started acting. He was a little bit older than Gwil, but was, by all means, a sensible person who took his job seriously enough, and didn't rattle easily.

_Which was great for when you have to reveal that you may or may not have gotten your good friend pregnant during a one night stand, and how you were now planning on moving to New York City for the next 9 months so you could be there to support him._

_Bradley Gifford was not only a reliable manager, but he was also a saint._

Gwilym chuckled. "Nonsense. Bradley says he can't wait to see you, and that he's happy to help." More muffled talking in the background, but this time with the sounds of motions like they were on the move. They must be on their way out now.

The plan was pretty simple, really. Seeing as neither of them were anywhere near being super-recognizable celebrities - the risk of people spotting them in public and posting about it would probably be pretty low; but just to be safe, they had still come up with a contingency plan. In case - as Bradley had put it when he proposed the idea - someone actually did recognize them, and somehow figured out that they were living together.

It would go like this: once they've arrived, Gwilym and Bradley would check into a hotel in the city, where it would be made clear that both he and his manager were rooming together. Gwilym would then slip out and make his way to Joe's apartment, under the pretense of visiting, when in fact he would be staying until Joe gave birth. Bradley on the other hand, would be keeping up the ruse of being in town with his client, while also discreetly having Gwilym's things delivered to Joe's via courier service. All in all, the whole thing should last little more than 2-3 days; but once settled, Bradley would go back to England, and continue to do what managers do, but with full knowledge that his friend and client, wasn't anywhere near England - but was in fact, in New York with his friend, who was currently carrying his child.

See? Simple.

_Hopefully._

"Hello? Joe? You there?"

Joe startled out of his thoughts. "Yeah! Sorry, I think I dozed off a bit. Tell Bradley I appreciate everything he's doing. God knows he doesn't need to be a part of any of this, but it does make me feel better that you've at least got him to have your back through all of this."

Gwilym sighed audibly, background noise suddenly quieter than before. _They must be in a car now_ , Joe thought. There were some soft shuffling noises, and then Gwilym's voice was back, a lot gentler, but clearer.

"Hey, don't think like that, okay. We're in this together, you and I. I'm as much a part of this as you are, okay Joe? Whether Bradley had been willing to cover for us or not, I would still be doing this. With you. I'm not going to let you go through this alone."

Unbidden, a rush of warmth and gratitude filled Joe's whole body, from his head to his toes, prompting his eyes to water involuntarily. He truly didn't deserve a friend as good as Gwilym. _What the fuck did he do to deserve someone as generous as Gwilym in his life._

_Fuck._

"Yeah... you're right. You're right. Thanks, man." He took a deep breath to center himself. "Anyway, let me know when you're on the way over. I'll be getting the guest room ready."

".....okay. See you soon, Joe."

"You too."

The line went dead. " _Fuuuuuuck,_ " Joe groaned, tossing the phone to the side, a litany of curses pouring from lips.

It was way too early for this shit, goddammit. And he didn't mean the pregnancy; just the general hour of the day. It was _too, fucking, early_ for this bullshit.

Although... fuck, maybe he did mean about the pregnancy as well. At least a little bit.

He cursed at everything - from his situation, to his mood swings, to the fucking emotional whiplash he was experiencing all of a sudden, to the goddamn uninvited waterworks threatening to spill from his eyes like he was some goddamned angsty teenager. _Hell, he didn't even know if any of this was happening because he was pregnant!_ For all he knew, it probably wasn't anything to do with his hormones and shit; _maybe he was just that much of a selfish, entitled prick, who was making shit difficult for his friends and family, just because he had to go and get pregnant._

Goddammit, he thought. Get over yourself, Joe. It's not all about you, you fucking crybaby. _Stop making it all about you._

**Calm down. Deep breath. Calm down.**

Breathing in deep, he moved a hand to his chest, feeling the air fill his lungs. And.... exhale.

**Repeat.**

His fingers moved lower, and for a moment his bout of anxiety paused.

Both of his hands tentatively came together to cradle his belly. His mostly flat.... really quite normal, belly.

He wasn't even showing, he thought. Sure he was barely a few weeks in, he knew that, but already he felt as if the whole world should be able to take one look at him, and think - there's Joe.... _he's pregnant._

Which was ridiculous, really. His body, for the most part, still looked the same as always. Not that he was ever 'that guy' who was overly concerned with fitness or anything of the sort; but he had made a point to maintain some level of fit and aesthetic on the regular; mostly as a condition for employment. After all, being an actor usually meant looking "nice" when on camera, and occasionally, when off it. So while he was never the person to be in the gym five days a week, he did like to go on morning runs at the park, and usually tried to watch what he ate or drank -at least on the weekdays.

 _All of which is going to change_ , he thought, fingers caressing the t-shirt covered skin.

 _His baby was under there_ , that inner voice whispered. _Your little secret. You and Gwilym's secret... is right there. Growing inside you, right now. At this very moment. At this very minute. It's right there._

It was as odd as it was terrifying; as alien, as it was somewhat comforting.

He didn't know if he liked it.

_He wondered if that made him a bad father._

Joe felt another sob coming on, arms now holding himself in a hug, his body hunched over and curling into a ball. Whether out of shame or out of the need to shield his baby, he didn't know. He didn't want to be like this... but he couldn't help it. _He was terrified._ But he didn't want anyone to take his baby from him. He wanted this, but he was afraid. _What the fuck kind of mindset was that?_ That can't be healthy. _This can't be healthy._ What if he was being bad for the baby - bad for his child? _Oh god, what if he's not cut out to be a parent??_

_Hey, we're in this together, okay?_

Dammit, Gwilym. Damn you.

A knock on his front door startled him out of his self-destructive train of thoughts. A quick glance at the clock showed the time to be at 9.30am, so it must be his mother. Scrambling to his feet, he gave himself a moment to gather himself, before making a quick check in the nearest mirror, and going on to open the door. Sure enough, there was his beautiful mother, bag of groceries in hand, rosy smile on her face.

"Hey mom, you're early!" He prayed that she wouldn't notice the remnants of the tremble in his voice. He reached out to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Please. You can never be too early for Mazzello brunch," she replied, passing the bag to Joe while she removed her coat. "So, how are you today? No morning sickness yet?"

Joe thought about his early morning bout of self-doubt, and wondered if that would count as morning sickness.

"Nope," he told her, "so far I'm still sickness free."

"Hah! Just you wait. Don't say I didn't warn you! Now come on, let's get started on brunch."

* * *

_**Flashback**_

Gwilym and Joe were running down the hotel hallway like a couple of teenagers, laughing at everything and nothing.

They passed by closed doors and confused guests. The occasional housekeeping cart. Joe wasn't keeping tabs. A feeling told him that Gwilym wasn't either. All Joe could really feel was the alcohol flowing through his blood, burning his good and common senses, replacing them with the need to run, and take Gwilym with him.

 _They were making an escape,_ he thought in a drunken haze. They were making a run from all the rejection, and all of the heartbreak, and foolishly missed chances. _Just he and Gwilym, and a bottle of something._

_Joe couldn't remember a time when he felt this reckless._

"Joe, wait! WAIT!" Joe flailed to a stop as Gwilym skidded to a halt behind him. Laughing, Joe turned around to face the other man, face red and warm from running on nothing but alcohol and bad ideas. Gwilym was doubled over, his blazer undone, trying to catch his breath. Joe thought that was a wonderful idea, giggling as he slumped against the wall behind him to do the same.

"Jesus Christ," Gwilym said in a breathy voice, "you're a fucking madman, Joe."

Joe burst out laughing, breathless and wheezing as he thought about what they were doing. _Where they were._ Gwilym chuckled along with him, eyes crinkling at the corners with those laugh lines that fascinated Joe back at the party. _They were amazing; they just made Gwilym's face light up,_ made him look better than he already was. Not that he ever looked bad, that is.

Gwilym's dark blonde hair was a haphazard, flopping, mess - strands puffed up every which way, falling into his eyes and in dire need of some managing. The Welshman ran his free hand through it, taming what he could, but - _Joe snickered_ \- he still looked like an over-excited golden retriever anyway, eager to run some more. Gwilym tugged at Joe's hand _(oh right, they were still holding hands)_ pulling him away from the wall he was leaning on, and into his space. Seeing those blue eyes up close - against that blinding smile - he realised his drunken musings didn't do them any justice; right then and there Joe decided that he couldn't believe anyone who would choose someone else over this man.

Meanwhile, Gwilym found himself studying Joe's face, trying to find some reason for the madness, some explanation for their daring escape. He found none - but that didn't stop him from wondering if Joe had always looked like this.

Just... handsome, he guessed. Standing there with him in the harsh, hotel hallway lighting. Cheeks flushed, eyes twinkling. And a smile so bright, yet almost achingly out of reach for some reason. It was just... mesmerizing. Even as he was just noticing the faint dusting of freckles on his friend's cheeks, and the delicate curve of his lips as he smiled, Gwilym found himself wondering how anyone could have passed up the chance to be with him. With Joe. Who was with him right now, restless in his tipsy-ness, _looking like he was ready to go off running at any minute now, with Gwilym beside him._

In hindsight, Gwilym knew his friend was drunk. Like... properly drunk. While he, at best, was somewhere between mildly buzzed and teetering on the edge of definitely questionable. So he knew, quite well, that in this situation, he ought to be the responsible one, and look out for Joe's well-being for the rest of the night. And he knew that he should be saying so; _that he should be saying something._

But with a tiny bite of a bottom lip, Joe beat him to it.

"Hey, let's go to our room and have a go at this." He raised the bottle in his other hand. "Have our own party - _screw everyone else!_ "

Gwilym blinked, as if suddenly remembering why he and Joe were here in the first place. The revelation that he had come to, back at their wrap party. For a moment his chest ached at the thought of that person, who he definitely had feelings for. The thought that that person was now with someone else, and knowing that he had, in fact, missed his chance at being with them.

_For a moment... Gwilym almost felt lost._

"Oh shit!" Joe suddenly exclaimed, dropping Gwilym's hand and patting down his leather jacket and jeans. "Shit, I think I lost my room key-card!"

The sudden motion took Gwilym by surprise, and for a moment he was just standing there stunned, watching as Joe moved about in a frantic dance while looking for his key-card, frowning and cursing when he couldn't locate it. Gwilym took a moment to breathe deep, shaking his head to clear his mind, and dislodging all the negative thoughts and regrets that were growing - threatening to pile up in there.

No. Fuck that. He didn't need all that. Cause right now he had Joe, and right now, they had a party to get to.

Reaching down, he grabbed at Joe's hand, pulling him into the direction of the lifts. " _We'll go to mine. It's closer anyway._ "

Joe smiled, following after Gwilym as if they'd been doing this forever.

" _Lead the way, sir._ "

Gwilym laughed at those words, pressing the button to call the lift to their floor. Behind them a hotel maid was coming up, prompting Joe to push himself against Gwilym's body to get out of her way, which then resulted in them tumbling into the lift when the doors unexpectedly opened. He and Joe laughed even more as they scrambled to their feet, and Gwilym punched in the number for his room floor.

Giggling, Joe leaned into his side, hair tickling his chin.

 _Well,_ Gwilym thought, _his night was better already._


End file.
